So I may possibly be sunburned but luckily every morning it fades from red to tan :) hoping to keep that pattern alive for the rest of the summer. The sun here is ridiculously strong. I'm wearing sunscreen and still gettin a pretty red. I'm mostly back to my normal shade of brown/yellow. I practically forgot what it was like to have tan lines!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The driver on the bus goes..
Had the most interesting bus ride yesterday (which is saying something because I live in San Francisco where MUNI always an experience). We were waiting across the street from our condo for the other half of our group. The bus NEVER stops at that stop, but for some reason one of the buses passed us. Seeing that we were all dressed up to go to dinner he stopped the bus and asked us if we wanted a ride not like a bus driver would, but how a guy wanting to pick-up a bunch of hitchhiking girls. We tried to explain that we were waiting for our friends but then he pulls the bus on the side of the road and says "go get um" the three of us are kind of just stunned and we just stand there looking at each other. I realize that he really isn't going to move that bus without us on it so I cross the street to go get them. Luckily they were at the end of the street so I yelled "Hurry up the bus is here!" and they start running (HILARIOUS) so we get on the bus and wait for them.
that's not all folks. We round the corner and he starts bumping the radio (American radio by the way) and honking at girls on the street. Every time he stops or slows down he break checks to kind of make the bus do hydrolics (and in time with the music too!) He starts doing it again with no real reason to stop or slow down, and then fully stops the bus next to 2 Bahamian girls walking in workout clothes with earphones in and honks at them. he says "Hey beautifuls" and the girls laugh and then the rest of what they said I couldn't hear. I couldn't believe he literally stopped the bus to, as an old roommate would say "holler at bitches" I suppose they ended their conversation because she put her earphone back in and we continued our bus ride. Later on he was talking out the side of his window with the car next to him, and when I say talking I mean like PODAGEE talking with the hands and everything all out the window. I also didn't know that the "bus"here is more like a big van and the funny thing is that when this BIG guy came on the bus and there were no more seats and he just came next to me and pulled on my arm rest. Little did I know that that turned into a chair and blocked the rest of the aisle. Someone in the back seat needed to get off at the next stop and everyone in the aisle seats had to get up to let her out. Twas a very interesting experience and probably the most uniquely Bahamian experience I've had here (because beaches, touristy restaurants, and $500/night hotel lobbies aren't really my thang)
So even outside of San Fran, the most unique and interesting experiences are to be found on the bus :) I honestly wish I could have taken a picture with the bus driver, but we got off at the last stop and in the interest of safety I didn't want him to think of it as an open invitation (Are you listening Dad?)
that's not all folks. We round the corner and he starts bumping the radio (American radio by the way) and honking at girls on the street. Every time he stops or slows down he break checks to kind of make the bus do hydrolics (and in time with the music too!) He starts doing it again with no real reason to stop or slow down, and then fully stops the bus next to 2 Bahamian girls walking in workout clothes with earphones in and honks at them. he says "Hey beautifuls" and the girls laugh and then the rest of what they said I couldn't hear. I couldn't believe he literally stopped the bus to, as an old roommate would say "holler at bitches" I suppose they ended their conversation because she put her earphone back in and we continued our bus ride. Later on he was talking out the side of his window with the car next to him, and when I say talking I mean like PODAGEE talking with the hands and everything all out the window. I also didn't know that the "bus"here is more like a big van and the funny thing is that when this BIG guy came on the bus and there were no more seats and he just came next to me and pulled on my arm rest. Little did I know that that turned into a chair and blocked the rest of the aisle. Someone in the back seat needed to get off at the next stop and everyone in the aisle seats had to get up to let her out. Twas a very interesting experience and probably the most uniquely Bahamian experience I've had here (because beaches, touristy restaurants, and $500/night hotel lobbies aren't really my thang)
So even outside of San Fran, the most unique and interesting experiences are to be found on the bus :) I honestly wish I could have taken a picture with the bus driver, but we got off at the last stop and in the interest of safety I didn't want him to think of it as an open invitation (Are you listening Dad?)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Bahama Mama
The Bahamas is like a less American version of home. It's Hawaii but without the Walmart and it's wayy easier to tell who is local and who is a tourist because all the locals are very black. I don't know if I really like it because just from knowing about the exploitation of Hawai'i it's kind of upsetting that I'm contributing to that here.
Being at the beach is awesome. It's beautiful and warm. I love being in the sun and it kind of reminds me of home...problem with that is that it's making me extremely homesick :(
eh the first week is usually the hardest. I'll get over it soon enough
My first day we went to Paradise Island (Atlantis beach)
Being at the beach is awesome. It's beautiful and warm. I love being in the sun and it kind of reminds me of home...problem with that is that it's making me extremely homesick :(
eh the first week is usually the hardest. I'll get over it soon enough
My first day we went to Paradise Island (Atlantis beach)
7 girls, 1 house
So living with 7 girls from other parts of America is probably more of a culture shock than the rest of the ship will be.
Other people's cultural norms are very very different than mine or what I've seen from other people. It's kind of surprising, and some things are disappointing. I expected for a majority of the girls on this trip to be White girls, but just kinda shocking how true some of the stereotypes are..
it's mostly unnoticeable and most of the girls are really nice. I'm having a good time for the most part, but it's kinda like I'm hanging out with a bunch of tourists back home. One girl in particular is pretty racist against Asians...not like she hates Asians but just she sees them as inferior "Asian men are ugly" "I didn't want to say this in front of you two (the other Asian girl), but my school is full of Asians and we like to joke about hitting them"
idk it's kind of weird because anytime I say something about my life they act like I'm REALLY weird (which I knew already, but it's less of an interesting weird and more of a freaky weird). One girl said that Kamehamea Schools sounded like a cult..
The worst part is I don't really know how to respond to any of it. Like my instinct was to get correct them and tell them that it's not okay to say stuff like that, but I have to live with these girls until Thursday and its kind of 6 against 1 right now. I feel like the black sheep...and I'm extra shocked that people like this are going on the SAS since it's such a cultural mixture..but then again it is Europe not Asia or Africa.
Not complaining too much, just one girl in particular who I try to stay away from in fear of screaming at her. The rest are really nice.
Other people's cultural norms are very very different than mine or what I've seen from other people. It's kind of surprising, and some things are disappointing. I expected for a majority of the girls on this trip to be White girls, but just kinda shocking how true some of the stereotypes are..
it's mostly unnoticeable and most of the girls are really nice. I'm having a good time for the most part, but it's kinda like I'm hanging out with a bunch of tourists back home. One girl in particular is pretty racist against Asians...not like she hates Asians but just she sees them as inferior "Asian men are ugly" "I didn't want to say this in front of you two (the other Asian girl), but my school is full of Asians and we like to joke about hitting them"
idk it's kind of weird because anytime I say something about my life they act like I'm REALLY weird (which I knew already, but it's less of an interesting weird and more of a freaky weird). One girl said that Kamehamea Schools sounded like a cult..
The worst part is I don't really know how to respond to any of it. Like my instinct was to get correct them and tell them that it's not okay to say stuff like that, but I have to live with these girls until Thursday and its kind of 6 against 1 right now. I feel like the black sheep...and I'm extra shocked that people like this are going on the SAS since it's such a cultural mixture..but then again it is Europe not Asia or Africa.
Not complaining too much, just one girl in particular who I try to stay away from in fear of screaming at her. The rest are really nice.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Talk Story
So I'm out of San Francisco after a full day of chemical cleaning and packing up my clown car haha. I am so happy that I decided to go up and visit my grandpa instead of staying in the city and partying it up.
I will look back on visiting Grandpa before I left for the summer as one of the best decisions I ever made. I had such an amazing time, I don't think I've ever bonded with my Grandpa this much in my entire life. We talked story for hours and I learned so much about my Grandpa's life and his relationship with his family in Kahakuloa, my Grandma, my mom and my aunties and uncles. I was surprised by how enlightening his stories were to the times he lived in and the struggles he and my Grandma faced raising 7 kids and being separated for a majority of their marriage with very little money. Everyone already knows my Grandpa was kinda a bad ass...but now it's official, my Grandma is a SUPER WOMAN! I'll look back on my visit with Grandpa as a great beginning and a major highlight of an eventful summer. I'm blessed to have such an awesome family, I'm lucky to be a part of it.
My grandpa drove me 2 hours back down to San Francisco for my flight...and when I got there I found out my flight was canceled 2 days ago! Needless to say I was pissed when they ended up shuttling my down to San Jose (because I could have saved Grandpa the drive and flown out of Sacramento). Lucky for Kainoa, I only got to Pensacola an hour and half late. When I got there Kainoa called me and surprised me at the airport.
I've spent a majority of today watching a Law & Order SVU Marathon and researching stuff for Semester at Sea. Hopefully this blog will post automatically to facebook since I spent a good deal of time figuring that out today...Maybe next weekend I'll get to see the beach here to compare to back home =)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Movin' on Out
Sooo moving out of my apartment has turned into one of the most stressful experiences of this year.
Buuuut there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and good news....the light is shining on some really awesome stuff :) After we do the walk through with the landlord I get to go see my Grandpa!! (can you say full stomach?) Then he's going to keep my car and drive me back on Friday for my flight to Pensacola! I spend about 2 weeks there, so I'll still have my phone and normal internet access until I go to the Bahamas on June 12. Me and a group of girls rented out a condo on HomeAway and I'm pretty sure that there's internet there too, but no phone. I get on the ship a day early (June 16) because I got this really sweet work study position as a "Videographer's Assistant" and hopefully the work is as fun as it sounds.
If anyone wants postcards let me know, I'm writing down the addresses and I'm going to send them all at once at each port. I'll post my email when I get it, but in the meantime here is the link to the addresses in case you want to send me something. Make sure you put a return address on it (in case it gets there late)
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/summer-2011/summer-2011-staying-in-touch.php
and just for kicks here's the rest of the voyage info
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/upcoming-voyages/summer-2011.php
Buuuut there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and good news....the light is shining on some really awesome stuff :) After we do the walk through with the landlord I get to go see my Grandpa!! (can you say full stomach?) Then he's going to keep my car and drive me back on Friday for my flight to Pensacola! I spend about 2 weeks there, so I'll still have my phone and normal internet access until I go to the Bahamas on June 12. Me and a group of girls rented out a condo on HomeAway and I'm pretty sure that there's internet there too, but no phone. I get on the ship a day early (June 16) because I got this really sweet work study position as a "Videographer's Assistant" and hopefully the work is as fun as it sounds.
If anyone wants postcards let me know, I'm writing down the addresses and I'm going to send them all at once at each port. I'll post my email when I get it, but in the meantime here is the link to the addresses in case you want to send me something. Make sure you put a return address on it (in case it gets there late)
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/summer-2011/summer-2011-staying-in-touch.php
and just for kicks here's the rest of the voyage info
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/upcoming-voyages/summer-2011.php
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